No Intention For Interim Government, Jonathan Tells Bishops

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that he has no
intention of heading an interim administration, insisting that
"insinuations about a plan for an interim government is tantamount to
treason".

He stressed that there was no such provision in the Nigerian constitution.

The President, who was addressing Catholic Bishops and other
congregation at a church service to mark the beginning of this year's
Catholic Bishops Conference in Abuja on Sunday, thanked Nigerians for
showing understanding, when the date of the general elections was
shifted.

President Jonathan said, the elections would have lacked credibility
if they were conducted as scheduled on February 14 and 28, stressing
that he could not, because of his personal interest, do anything that
would jeopardise the Nigerian nation.

Elections Would Be Conducted

On insurgency, President Jonathan told the congregation that the
nation would soon be stable as Nigerian soldiers were regaining
territories in the north-east that were in the hands of Boko Haram.

"There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, who was elected by the people,
with the clear mandate, will now go and head an interim government
without a mandate. So, the only interim government that anybody can
contemplate is a military government, which of cause will not be
accepted.

"ECOWAS in the first place, will not accept it and that is why we
forced Burkina Faso to take the decision they took. AU will not accept
it. The UN will not accept it and Nigeria cannot be a pariah state at
this present generation.

"Any insinuation about an interim government, to me, is treasonable
and people suppose not to talk about it.

"My conviction and very strongly too is that elections would be
conducted, as scheduled by INEC," he said.

The President further thanked the Catholics and all Christians for
their prayers at a time insurgency is raging in Nigeria.

The Catholic Bishops Conference plenary usually commences with a
church service, with Catholic Bishops from all parts of Nigeria
present.

President Jonathan and other top government functionaries were present
as special guests.

This year's theme centers on "Family as the Fulcrum of Society and any Nation".

The archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, told the gathering
that a stable family had its impact on the nation no matter the
differences.

On politics, he said politicians should serve for the good of all,
shunning hate campaigns and lies, stressing the need for stakeholders
to ensure that the electorates trust in the electoral process.

There were prayers for the church, the governments, those in
leadership position, for a peaceful election in Nigeria, the poor and
the needy and the internally displaced persons scattered all over the
country as a result of the the insurgency.
--ChannelsTV